


Searching For Forever

by Inubird



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:46:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26679199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inubird/pseuds/Inubird
Summary: For a great demon with a mission, five years were a blink in time.However, for a human, it meant a complete change in life...
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha), Rin & Sesshoumaru (InuYasha), Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 79
Kudos: 137





	1. • I •

"My lord," the little green demon croaked with a cough, "surely, this mission won't lengthen for much longer... Will it?"

As they flew in between sulphuric plumes, Sesshōmaru kept a constant sharp eye to the surroundings. He had been hunting a demon, going by the name of _Hyujoshi_ , for the past four days, but with no success. The slithering bastard knew how to hide his stench from Sesshōmaru's keen nose, burrowing in tricky places just like the one they were currently in.

Jaken glanced down at the moving scenery in disgust as they levitated forward, cursing the bubbling swamps and watery craters that kept spewing gases in the air to the high heavens. He clutched his liege's tail harder as he felt a sudden wave of dizziness hit him from the overpowering smell of rotten eggs. He couldn't stand this anymore!

"Sesshōmaru-sama!" Jaken called again, louder this time, for he hadn't been answered before, "Perhaps Hyujoshi is not here anymore. Maybe we should go back and get more information?"

Yet again, he was met by silence. His lord and liege didn't deign contract one single muscle for his sake, and Jaken felt despondent.

Was his death going to be this, then? By choking and poisoning over hellish smells from the earth's bowels? How dishonourable!

Unless...

"Sesshōmaru-sama!" Jaken called for the third time, hoping this time would work. "It's already—... I mean to say... Ah—! Five years have passed since our last visit to the human village..."

He let some seconds pass for effect, unsure if it was wise to mention what he was about to, "I believe Rin might have started to worry... Or maybe she might be in some kind of trouble, or maybe she is in need of something, or maybe—"

Of course, Jaken couldn't have noticed the imperceptible narrowing of the great dog demon's eyes at the mention of that name, nor could he have ever guessed the emotional inner turmoil it evoked.

"Jaken," Sesshōmaru's voice was so unexpected, it caused the green demon to nearly jump out of his skin.

" _Hai_! Yes, my lord?" Jaken replied promptly, if not a bit worriedly. Maybe he had pushed too far? It wouldn't be the first time. But, it took only one time to die...

"Shut up."

"Yes! As you say, my lord!" Jaken agreed quickly, recognising the dangerous tone that promised painful retribution if not obeyed. "I will be the most silent of servants! Odes will be sung of my quietness! This Jaken will be the perfect vassal!"

The little demon sighed heavily, resigning himself to a slow suffocation by volcanic emissions. 

However, so slowly it was impossible to recognise when it begun, the smell of sulphur started dissipating, and the sky, before covered in a dusty smog, became clearer and clearer, showing twinkling stars.

 _‘So, we are finally getting away from that disgusting place, eh?’_ He thought, hiding his grin behind his sleeve whilst trying very hard to contain his snickers, lest his lord hear him and chop his head off.

 _‘That stupid girl has so much power... And she doesn’t even know it_!’


	2. • II •

Something was wrong...

As he approached the human village, Sesshōmaru felt his senses crackle in foreboding energy.

“Sesshōmaru-sama, look! It’s that old woman!” Jaken pointed at the field below them.

The dog demon didn’t bother turning his head, even as Kaede noticed them and waved her arms furiously trying to call them. He even ignored the villagers that were out with torches, moving around with seemingly no rhyme or reason. He didn’t want to waste one iota of brain power trying to figure out what they were on about, neither did he care. They were just ignorant creatures, after all.

He flew straight for the house, gracefully falling on the ground, and approached the wooden building with an impatience he didn’t want to analyse.

He slid the door open with a tad too much force, the panels slamming loudly in the silence. Jaken stepped inside, looking at the interior in confusion.

“ _Ohhh_! My lord, what is the meaning of this?”

Sesshōmaru had no answer, for he didn’t know himself. Even though the sun was now peeking through the horizon, it was still pretty much very early. Rin should have still been in bed. Or at the very least, she should have still been inside, safe and sound, where she was supposed to be.

But she wasn’t there. Even her _scent_ wasn’t there.

What was the meaning of this? Were these humans playing with him, the great Sesshōmaru?

Fools!

“ _Rin_!!!” Jaken ran outside, yelling to the beyond, “ _Oooi_! Where are you, girl?!! You’re making lord Sesshōmaru wait!”

The little green demon closed his eyes on a sigh, shaking his head disapprovingly. “Living with humans has made that child feral. She doesn’t know the meaning of respect anymore—... Ah! Sesshōmaru-sama, where are you going?!”

Sesshōmaru quickened his pace, his goal being to reach that old woman and demand some answers.

In her defence, Kaede met them halfway. She had followed the two demons as soon as she spotted them, even as they so rudely ignored her summons, walking as fast as her old legs would allow her.

“Demon,” she greeted, slightly nervous of what she had to tell him next, but she thought it best to get it straight out in the open. “Rin has been missing for nearly a month now— ”

“What!!” Jaken screeched, “How is this possible! Why haven’t you searched for her?!”

“I was just going to come to that, frog demon,” Kaede replied patiently.

“It’s Jaken-sama to you, you insolent human!”

“Jaken,” Sesshōmaru interrupted.

“ _Hai_ , my lord? Do you want me to kill her? I’ll make a perfect job of it—!”

“Be silent.”

“Yes! Of course!” Jaken acquiesced quickly, nervously moving a step away from his liege just in case.

“We have searched day and night since she disappeared,” Kaede continued calmly, nodding at some of the other villagers that had volunteered to help returning from yet another fruitless night of searching. “One morning, she said she was going to the river to forage for some items. We haven’t been able to find her anywhere since.”

Sesshōmaru gritted his teeth, his mind in turmoil.

“I think,” Kaede looked at him pointedly, “... I think that she ran away.”

“Ohhhh!” Jaken exclaimed, “Impossible! 

“I also think...” Kaede coughed strategically, “That she doesn’t want to be found... But, well... I wouldn’t know for sure...”

Sesshōmaru narrowed his eyes, his hand twitching to pull out his sword and impart some destruction upon these useless humans. He sharply turned around before he could, knowing this vermin was dear to Rin.

“Ah! Sesshōmaru-sama! Wait for me!”

Maybe, Rin really ran away. Maybe, she really didn’t want to be found.

‘ _Either_ _way_ ,’ he thought, uncharacteristically angry for unknown reasons, ‘ _I_ , _Sesshōmaru_ , _will find her. And she better be ready to answer for herself._ ’


	3. • III •

The river was gurgling happily away, unaware of the gloomy atmosphere between the two demons standing on its banks.

Sesshōmaru had taken one look at the area to discern that there were absolutely no clues to Rin’s whereabouts. There were no signs of disturbance, no scent to follow, and no blood to indicate any scuffle. Although he was glad for the last one, he still would have liked at least _something_ to help him along.

He was a month too late...

He stared hard at the running water like it would start talking and give him answers, not knowing that his face was set in such a fulminating glare, Jaken quickly backtracked several steps away to a safe distance.

“ _Ohhhh_ ,” the little green demon approached a boulder three times his size, passing his hands over the rough surface like he was searching for something, “...maybe these scratches were made by Rin?” He was rewarded with palms dirtied by sopping moss, and he flicked his fingers hard in disgust to detach the green slime.

Of course, those scratches were just natural erosion caused by time, but Jaken could only fill in the silence with inane talking out of nervousness. “Ah, my lord— Eh, perhaps she went upstream...?”

Just then, at the tree line, bushes and foliage rustled. Sesshōmaru narrowed his eyes and whipped his hand out, sending a sharp blade of wind to the source of the noise.

A squeak rang out, just as a tree trunk fell heavily on its side, cleanly cut through. There, looking like he had just faced death in the face, crouched Rōyakan, frozen in fear. He was a minor wolf demon guardian of the the forest, but it didn’t change the fact that he was also highly curious by nature.

“Sesshōmaru-sama!” He went on his knees, hitting his forehead on the ground on a deep bow, looking slightly ridiculous for the top of his head had lost its fur from Sesshoumaru’s attack earlier, “Forgive me, but I couldn’t help but notice you were preoccupied... Is there any way I, humble Rōyakan, could help?”

“Ha!” Jaken spat, walloping the wolf demon’s head with his staff, “As if a disrespectful mongrel like you could help us find Rin!”

‘ _What a fool, always running his mouth like that,_ ’ Sesshōmaru thought, flicking a death look at Jaken. Information was a very valuable commodity at that day and age, and it could easily become dangerous if in the wrong hands...

But before poor Jaken could stammer out an apology, they both were interrupted by the wolf demon, which moved to sit cross legged and was sporting a worrying pensive face.

“Rin? The human girl? Why, I only saw her a moon ago!” Rōyakan rattled on, proud to be of use. “I was sleeping on my favourite tree, when I heard a screech that woke me. Some kind of winged creature had grabbed the girl and was rapidly ascending back up in the sky. But something happened, because it dropped her and she fell in the river. By the time I went to look, both the human and the demon were nowhere to be found...”

“Ohh!” Jaken exclaimed, turning to his lord, unsure on what to do, “I say—!”

“What did the demon look like?” Sesshōmaru asked, keeping a tight leash on his anger. The situation was becoming worse and worse by the minute.

“Ehm... Let’s see...” Rōyakan pressed a clawed finger to the centre of his forehead, thinking hard. “It was purple... No! Purple-black... Yes, and with horns on its body! The wings were like those of a bat...”

The more he spoke, the more Rōyakan could see the young lord was not at all happy. Why, he had a thunderous expression just then! Whether it was directed at him, or at the world at large, Rōyakan didn’t know, but, just the same, he went back to hitting his forehead repeatedly on the floor in a deep bow, his eyes squeezed shut out of terror.

“Sesshōmaru-sama, I beg your forgiveness for failing you! If only I had know how important she was to you...! If you could only allow me to become your servant, I will spend the rest of my days in your service, repenting for my mistake—!”

At the prolonged silence, Rōyakan opened his eyes again to peek at the lord, hoping to see a now mollified Sesshōmaru. However, where only a few seconds ago stood a noble dog demon and his little green vassal - which Rōyakan had always thought a little useless - now was only empty air.

“Ah! Sesshōmaru-sama... Where have you gone?” He looked left and right, before looking up and noticing the two already flying away, far in the distance.

Rōyakan stood up, raising his paw in dejection, “Sesshōmaru-sama! _Whyyy_ —?!”


	4. • IV •

"We're finally home!" Kagome smiled happily as they approached Kaede's village, "I can't believe we were gone for such a long time!"

"And whose fault was that?" Inuyasha grumbled, giving Miroku an irritated look.

"I had no idea that demon would give us so much trouble," the monk defended himself apologetically. "At least, we were paid handsomely."

"I'm glad one of us is happy," Sango muttered, unimpressed at him. Miroku laughed nervously, putting a bit of distance between him and his friends just in case they thought to get violent on him.

" _Brrr_!" Shippō hugged himself as a cold gust blew in the area, "It's getting colder and colder lately! Can't wait to get inside and have some warm food!"

" _Keh_! You're such a weakling," Inuyasha teased.

"Whaaat?! No I'm not!" Shippō yelled angrily, "I'm a great fox demon, how dare you!"

"Great fox demon my ass," Inuyasha drawled on a snicker.

"Ha!" Shippō turned his head away, closing his eyes and raising his chin, "If I remember correctly, I was the one to save Kagome just last week when you missed hitting that demon with your sword. You're the weak one."

" _Oi_ ," Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched whilst he raised his fisted hand, "Take that back, you midget..."

"No, I won't! Ahhh!" Shippō rushed in Kagome's arms to hide better as he noticed the dangerous fire in the dog demon's eyes, "Tell him to stop!"

" _Inuyasha_ ," Kagome warned in a stern voice.

He jumped back - not like that would have helped if she actually decided to use the _magic_ _word_ \- and gave the little fox demon a disgusted look, “You can’t hide behind a girl all day.”

Shippō stuck his tongue out, making Inuyasha growl in frustration. They kept bickering all the way to Kaede’s home, whilst Kagome looked happily around at the familiar sights. The villagers were all busy with the land and preparing for the upcoming colder months. She hoped this winter wouldn’t be as bad as the previous year’s.

“Oh, you’re back,” Kaede met them in front of her house carrying a basket with the latest herbs she had collected.

They all went inside to escape the chasing chillness. It was getting dark, but the setting sun created a magical rosy atmosphere as they all gratefully accepted a cup of hot tea.

The old woman was just stirring the stew on the fire when Sango spoke up, “Oh! I nearly forgot,” she rummaged in her satchel before taking out a small object wrapped in cloth. “I got this present for Rin-chan. Is she nearby, so that I can give it to her?”

Kaede sighed, “I’m afraid Rin has been missing for a month now...”

A pin dropping could have been heard in the shocked silence that permeated the room immediately after that statement. Even Inuyasha, leaning against the doorway with former disinterest, couldn’t help but open his eyes and look at the old priestess with narrowed eyes.

Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippō all raised their respective tea cups again to take a sip with quivering fingers, nervously trying to act calm.

An owl hooted forlornly outside.

Shippō was the first to break down, “I’m too young to die!” He yowled.

“I’m sure Sesshōmaru won’t kill us,” Miroku tried to sound convincing, but failed, “... _too_ much.”

“I’m going to go search for her right away,” Sango stood up, worried for the younger girl.

“I’m coming too,” Kagome said with conviction. “We just need to find her before—”

“It’s too late,” Kaede continued, calmly keeping on stirring the contents of the pot, “Sesshōmaru came just two days ago. I had to tell him she was missing, of course, and that she might have run away herself...”

They all warily looked on as she grabbed a handful of leaves from her basked without looking and dropped them in the bubbling food.

“Right! I’m out of here!” Shippō exclaimed, running for the door. Inuyasha easily grabbed him by the tail to hold him in place, to the fox demon’s protests.

“She took nothing with her...” Sango looked at Rin’s possessions still present in the small hut. “I can’t believe she ran away...”

“Oh, she probably didn’t,” Kaede tasted the stew.

They all stared at the old woman, dumbfounded.

“So why did you—?” Sango started to ask.

“It must have been a slip of the tongue.” The old priestess stated, starting to fill wooden bowls.

“Kaede-sama, you are so brave,” Miroku raised his cup with closed eyes.

They all sipped their teas again.

“Right!” Kagome exclaimed, “We’re going to go search for Rin as well!”

Sango and Miroku nodded in agreement.

Inuyasha, however... “ _Keh_! Don’t be stupid! Sesshōmaru is already taking care of it. I don’t want to see his face again,”

“Inuyasha...” Kagome’s voice rang with warning. Sango and Miroku looked at her nervously, if not a bit scared.

But Inuyasha wasn’t listening, or maybe he deliberately chose to ignore her. “...and good riddance to them both! They were becoming insufferable, tiptoeing around each other like that...”

“INUYASHA,” Kagome snapped.

Finally, the dog demon looked at her, his face turning into horrified realisation, “Now, just wait a second! I only meant to say—!”

“ _SIT_!”


	5. • V •

They walked for days, following the meandering path of the river through forests and fields. Jaken clutched his back on a groan, tired from all the leg work. He didn't understand why they weren't flying. They would definitely be covering more ground if they did!

"Sesshōmaru-sama!" Jaken called whilst trudging along, "Have you found anything yet?"

The great dog demon kept walking ahead, without a break in his stride. Jaken sigheddeeply and still followed from behind, wondering for how much longer they will search for Rin.

' _She could be gone for good,_ ' he thought sombrely, ‘ _Let us hope we’ll find her soon, or we better start praying in earnest for all of our souls!_ ’

Suddenly, Sesshōmaru stopped, looking down at his feet. To Jaken’s curiosity, he lowered himself to one knee, shifting his hand in the dirt, rolling aside pebbles and dead grass, to pull something long up to his face for his perusal. With startling clarity, he realised it was an _obi_. More accurately, one of _Rin’s_. Strangely, he thought he could easily recognise that and every other garment he had brought her regardless of time and space...

“My lord!” Jaken peeked from behind, noticing the dirty and frayed piece of cloth with consternation, and hurried in front of his liege, offering his hands palms up in earnest for the belt. “Allow me to hold it for you, you don’t need to sully your noble hands— _OOOF_!”

Sesshōmaru walked over him without thought, his mind busy with possibilities. Finally, he had found a sign that they were on the right course. Hopefully, she was now near and they would discover her whereabouts soon.

As they travelled on, new noises and scents gradually rolled in through the air, causing Sesshōmaru to nearly curl his lips in disgust. A human settlement was nearby - a rather large one at that. Even though his wish would be to get as far away from the offending stink as possible, he knew valuable information could be found in the village.

They found a farmer easily enough soon after. It only took one pitiful threat of murder for the human to start stammering out answers.

“Where is Rin?!” Jaken demanded, shoving the staff of two heads threateningly in the poor man’s face.

“I don’t know!” The farmer weeped, shivering in terror, horrified by the two demons, “I know of no one by that name! I swear!”

“And no strange girl passed by the village in the last month?” Jaken pushed on.

“A girl was found weeks ago by the river, but the village elder took care of that. _P_ \- _please_!” the man begged in a stammer, “I have a wife and kids! Please don’t eat me!”

‘ _And so, we are close,_ ’ Sesshōmaru thought. His senses quivered in inpatient anticipation.

“Ha ha!” Jaken cackled evilly whilst tapping his staff on the human’s head, enjoying the power he held over the mortal, “As if my great lord Sesshōmaru would eat the lowly likes of you!”

The little green demon turned his head sideways, “Sesshōmaru-sama, shall I kill him? It might be best since— Uh? _Ehhhh?_!” He saw his liege already walking away, disinterested.

“My lord! Wait up, _Sesshōmaru_ -samaaa!!!”


	6. • VI •

The human village was pathetically small, but Sesshōmaru could sense a rather larger settlement - perhaps even a town - not far away from where they were.

All the villagers kept their distance as soon as they saw them, some hurrying indoors to purposely hide away in their homes as a parody of safety, whilst others screamed and ran around like headless chickens.

To Sesshōmaru, all was a rather annoying background buzz, just like an irritating fly circling your head. Perhaps, he could silence them with a quick swipe of his hand...

"Make way!" Jaken walked in front, waving his staff side to side to be noticed, "The lord Sesshōmaru is here to grace your lowly existences!"

The person they were looking for was easy to find, for they only had to keep walking straight through. The village headmaster was, surprisingly, the only person of an advanced age in the place.

When the two demons approached the frail-looking old man, he was calmly sat on the portico in front of his abode, enjoying a puzzle and cup of tea. He looked up when they neared, his eyes milky and slightly unfocused. He was clearly in possession of a poor eyesight.

"A lord, I hear? I am honoured at your presence. But," the old man scratched his whiskery jaw, "I wonder if you have gotten lost? The town of _Oyakura_ is just north of here. Unfortunately we have nothing to offer to a nobleman."

" _Ohh_!" Jaken gasped and sputtered angrily, "How disrespectful—"

"I'm here to search for a girl," Sesshōmaru interrupted calmly, even when inside he was anything _but_. "She was found here a month ago."

" _Hmmm_ ," the headmaster moved a piece of the puzzle, seemingly in no hurry to respond. "Everything falls into place, eventually..." He sighed deeply. "Indeed, a young woman was found unconscious by the river some weeks ago. She had received a bad hit on the head, and couldn't remember much of herself. I feared she was of noble birth, because her clothes were far too fine, and her hands too unblemished, to be those of a common girl..."

" _Ehhh_!?" Jaken turned his head left and right, "So Rin is here, then?" He ran to the doorway, peeking inside, "Rin??!Where are you?!"

"...Rin?" The old man blinked curiously, this time scratching the bald patch on his head instead. "Oh! Of course, that must be her real name. Why, we named her _Mizuko_ , what with her loss of memory and all that," he laughed sheepishly.

"Where is she?" Sesshōmaru demanded.

Although he was near to being blind, the headmaster personally thought his other senses were still pretty sharp. And right now, they were screaming in alarm. He had to be very careful here on out...

"We took her to the castle in town," he raised the rough bamboo teacup to his lips, "Like I said before, I was suspicious that she was a noblewoman. The castle officials said they would help her find where she came from."

"A castle! In a _human_ town!" Jaken raised his arms in exasperation. He was tired of all the searching, and it seemed like it was never going to end!

Sesshōmaru bestowed the little green demon a fulminating glare, a telling sign to shut his mouth, or else...

Jaken gulped nervously, and turned back around to peeking inside the village headmaster's house, trying to look busy.

"Well, I'm glad," the old man nodded resolutely. "Yes, I'm very glad. You're clearly here to bring that poor girl home. She was such a sad sight the entire time she stayed with me. Why, I don't think she even smiled once!"

' _Rin... hadn't been smiling?_ ' Sesshoumaru couldn't even start to process that thought. It was like somebody trying to suggest to you that the sky was red instead of blue...!

"Master!" A villager rushed to the old headmaster nervously, scared of the two demons standing so threateningly near. " _Master_ _Yōzo_! These are demons! You have to get away! Quickly!"

The man grabbed one thin arm and tried to heave the elder up, but master Yōzo was not in the mood to get on his feet. He was quite comfortable sipping his tea and playing his puzzle. He even had illustrious company to converse with! He swatted the younger man away, and squinted at the strangers that had arrived in his village. Yes, the shapes were very blurred, but they looked humanoid enough.

They were surely no hellish demons come to steal their souls, were they?

"Ha!" Yōzo grinned, showing a mouth missing several teeth, "As long as they're here to help Mizuko— I mean, Rin — they can be anything they want. But, just in case," he slapped a hand on his right knee, using it to help himself up on his feet, multiple bones creaking and cracking in the silence.

Jaken cringed away at the blatant and loud show of feeble mortality, placing a sleeve in front of his nose like it was an airborne disease he could protect himself from.

"There is one way I can actually help..." With those words, Yōzo staggered in the darkness of his home, leaving the two demons bristling to wait for his return.


	7. • VII •

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *AUTHOR’S NOTES*
> 
> I have made some minor changes in the writing, for names and Japanese words to be more correct. Basically, the changes are as follow:
> 
> • Sesshoumaru —> Sesshōmaru   
> • Youzo —> Yōzo  
> • Shippou —> Shippō  
> Etc...
> 
> I try my hardest to stay as true to the Japanese version as possible, that’s why I like to throw in Japanese terms every now and then. I do some research beforehand, but it’s very likely I have made (and I will make!) mistakes. 
> 
> If anyone sees any errors, please do tell me so I can rectify it!
> 
> Anyhow... I’ll stop boring you all now. Read away! ❤️

“Master Yōzo, you cannot really think to do this?!” The young villager exclaimed in shock.

“Why not?” Yōzo asked calmly, busy rummaging through a large chest against the wall.

“Why...!” The villager sputtered, “They’re demons! They’ll never let them in the castle!”

“Well, they look human enough to me. Either way, I’m still going to give them these to help them along,” Yōzo turned to show multiple garments on his arms.

Still positioned at the doorway, Jaken noticed the clothes, “Ohhh! Where ever did you get them?” He asked suspiciously.

“He! They’re good, aren’t they? My nieces and nephews work in the town’s theatre. Even though they’re used as costumes, I can assure you they’re as real as they come.” Yōzo stated proudly. “If you wear these, you will definitely look like a proper _daimyō_.”

Sesshōmaru glanced at the objects dispassionately, before turning around, “I don’t need silly human costumes.”

“Perhaps,” the old man agreed. Was this young lord planning to just force his way through the entire castle to get the girl? “I must say... the lord of _Oyakura_ is holding a military party from today. Dozens of other lords are planned to come, all with their own personal soldiers. If you cause any trouble...” He didn’t finish the sentence, sure that they would all understand the dire consequences.

Sesshōmaru narrowed his eyes, his hand raising to rest on his _bakusaiga_. Seeing this, the villager companion squeaked and ran closer to Yōzo, putting himself between the old man and the two demons, “See?! I told you they’re dangerous!”

“Dangerous? What do you mean?” the elder asked. “I can’t see a damn, boy! Get out of the way!”

Whilst the two humans bickered, Jaken approached the great dog demon. “My lord,” he started, “Although it pains me to say this... I agree with them. It might be more prudent to enter in the enemy’s stronghold and collect information from within.”

“I will just kill them all.” Sesshōmaru declared.

The little green demon started to nod automatically, “Yes, of course, what a marvellous plan—”

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,” Yōzo interrupted them, having overheard the conversation.

Jaken whipped around with a glare, brandishing his staff like a sword at the old man, “You insolent human, you cannot tell Sesshōmaru-sama what to do!”

Equally, the companion villager approached Jaken with a fierce look on his face, “Don’t threaten Master Yōzo like that, you disgusting frog!”

“Frog?!” Jaken shouted, incensed, “You lowly human...!”

He swung his staff, but the boy evaded the blow before throwing himself at the green demon. Soon, they started scuffling like children, throwing punches and yelling angrily.

“ _Yare_ , _yare_...” Yōzo sighed, pouring himself some more tea. “As I was saying, using force might not be a good idea. If they ever found out that the girl is in some way connected to you... Hmmm, they might harm her.”

“I won’t let them.” Sesshōmaru vowed.

“I’m sure of that,” Yōzo muttered, “But you’ll be busy fighting hundreds of soldiers first before you can reach her, won’t you?”

“ _Ohhh_ ,” Jaken croaked from the other side of the room where he was currently being choked by the boy, “You must be careful, my lord! Your father met his demise just like that, to save that worthless human woman he lov—”

A sharp burst of power cut through the air, missing Jaken by a fraction of an inch. The little green demon and human boy both jumped backwards in fear.

Yōzo squinted his eyes to see what happened. “You can’t do that at the castle, you know,” The old man reprimanded good-naturedly, sipping his tea with a grin, “They would definitely think you’re demon.”

“He _is_ a demon!” Jaken snapped, “My lord has great noble blood going back thousands of years!”

“Hmmm,” the old village headmaster scratched his head, “Let us get ready, then. The sooner you dress up, the sooner you can get Rin back... Oh!” He suddenly exclaimed, pointing at Jaken rather rudely, “By the way, I have the perfect accessory for you. Even in my blindness, your head looks rather deformed.”

“ _Looks_... _deformed_...?!” Jaken was indignant, waving his fist furiously, “How dare you...!”

“I have a fake beard for you. It won’t be perfect, but I’m sure it’ll be passable,” Yōzo continued as if he couldn’t hear the imp demon huffing in vexation.

“I don’t need a beard! Your plan is ridiculous, and my lord will tell you so! Sesshōmaru-sama, show this vermin—... _Ah_! Sesshōmaru-sama, you’re actually _undressing_?!”


	8. • VIII •

The castle was a massive structure rising imposingly from the middle of the town on raised ground, visible from miles away. With its white walls shining in the sunlight, terracotta tiles and roof decorations, it was a rather impressive sight.

' _This lord of Oyakura seems to be quite powerful,_ ’ Jaken thought worriedly, ' _This could get problematic..._ '

They walked for far too long, in the little green demon's opinion. They slowly advanced through the town's streets as Yōzo led them from the front, cheerily chattering away to the beat of his walking stick. The village boy was one step behind the old man, insisting to accompany the headmaster for protection, but currently too busy exchanging glowering looks with Jaken.

Sesshōmaru walked calmly in between, his gaze steady and locked on the way ahead. He had been silent the entire time, the only sound that of his heavy robes rustling from the movement of his walking. Jaken peeked at his liege anxiously, expecting the great demon to take his sword from its scabbard at any moment and raze everything and everyone around them to the ground.

He clutched the end of his fake beard and blotted the nervous sweat on his forehead, hating the way the accessory prickled and itched his skin. ' _Rin, I swear you've taken one hundred years off my life,_ ' he thought grudgingly.

"We'll ask for them to bring us the girl as soon we get there," Jaken proclaimed, dreaming of the moment everything returned to normal.

"It might not be that easy or straightforward," Yōzo warned, "my lord is not the most agreeable of men, and, if we want to be especially honest," he lowered his voice, "I must admit even I'm not on good terms with him." The old man grinned like it was something to be proud about. “It would be best if you didn’t mention the girl from the beginning. Then, once you are successfully invited inside, you could carefully start searching for her whereabouts...”

Jaken furiously dabbed at his forehead again at hearing that. Just their luck that Rin was sent into the domain of a savage human lord...!

When they reached the castle gates, the place was busy with dozens of horses and men passing through - they were clearly the other lords with their own _samurai_ arriving to attend the military party. A castle official was seated at a small table that had been placed there just for the occasion, busy looking at various scrolls and documents, before nodding and allowing people through.

“Master Official,” Yōzo greeted, “I have brought a young lord here that wishes to attend the party.”

“What is the name?” The Official asked, raising his gaze to look at them.

“ _The_ lord Sesshōmaru!” Jaken stated loudly, deeply offended at the human’s rudeness.

The Official grabbed a piece of paper and skimmed through the list of invitees for several seconds. “The name is not on here,” he stated suspiciously, starting to look at them a bit more closely.

But the lord in question looked every inch a high ranking nobleman, with his expensive garbs and a haughty, assured expression on his face. The Official gulped at the dangerous look on the young aristocrat’s face.

“I can speak for the lord’s character,” Yōzo assured, “I knew his father, and the father of his father, and—”

‘ _This is ridiculous!_ ’ Jaken fumed in his mind, rummaging inside his robes and whipping out a tied scroll. With flourish, he marched to the table, effectivelyinterrupting the two humans, and slammed the scroll on top. “I have my lord’s documents right here!”

The castle Official carefully untied the ribbon and read through the family tree and holdings neatly and properly inscribed on the paper, his eyes nearly bursting out of their sockets. This lord Sesshōmaru seemed to be governing the whole west of Japan...!

Every other one in attendance was just some minor lord from the surrounding areas, ranking not much higher than a farmer. ‘ _But this daimyō might as well be related to the Imperial family..._ ’ the Official thought with dread as he read all names of the ancestors.

He quickly staggered to his feet and bowed deeply, “My humblest apologies, my lord. If we had only known you were attending...! We will show you to your quarters at once!” He turned and sharply called in the distance, “You! Get a servant!”

Yōzo approached the two demons with a beatific smile, “Hmm, that actually worked,” he laughed heartily. Then, scratching his beard, he said, “Now, be careful from now on. Inside the castle, there will be eyes and ears everywhere... Anyways, I’m afraid this is where I leave, I would never be invited to stay,” he grinned and waved with his walking stick, before starting to walk away, “Good luck!”

Soon after, a servant approached them with repeated deep bows, “If the lord and his vassal would please follow,”

Jaken and Sesshōmaru were hastily led inside, with the little green demon _ooh_ -ing and _aah_ -ing at the interiors and decorations. As they were traversing yet another corridor, the great dog demon stiffened and stopped, his eyes narrowing to the end of the hallway.

He could recognise that smell anywhere...

“Ah! Sesshōmaru-sama, what is the matter?”

Just then, two girls appeared round the corner, busy conversing with each other in low tones. One was dressed lavishly and talking animatedly. The other...

“Oh!” Jaken turned to look at the two young women, finally noticing what had made his liege stop in his tracks.

“ _Ohhh_! RIN!”


End file.
